Child & Youth Program Assistant

Commander, Navy Installations Command•Bethesda, MD

17h

About The Position

Child & Youth Program Assistants work directly with children and youth to keep them actively engaged, well cared for, and safe while participating in the Child and Youth Program (CYP). They help participants develop social skills, make healthy choices, build self-help and school-readiness skills, and explore their environment. Duties are organized around curriculum; indoor and outdoor environments; interactions and relationships; supervision; parent and employee communication; assessment; compliance; and additional responsibilities. The assistant develops and implements schedules, activity plans, and special events that address participants’ observed developmental needs. They incorporate parents’ instructions, including dietary or physical needs, and provide program options and care for children and youth with special requirements as directed by a supervisor. They demonstrate and facilitate planned and spontaneous activities, model developmentally appropriate practices, and promote safety, fitness, health, and nutrition. The role includes preparing and maintaining activity spaces and materials; establishing an environment that encourages participation and positive interactions; and supervising participants during activities, outings, field trips, and special events. Assistants maintain accountability for participants’ whereabouts and safety, ensure departures follow written parental instructions, and report signs of illness, abuse, or neglect as required. They communicate professionally with parents, employees, and installation command personnel, provide parents with daily feedback, and participate in conferences. Assistants observe and document developmental progress or concerns, use observations in planning, and participate in program evaluations. They help maintain DoD certification and national accreditation, ensure compliance with applicable laws and policies, report health, fire, and safety concerns to a supervisor, and collect and report participation data. Other related duties may be assigned. The position has entry, intermediate, and target levels. Requirements vary by level and include a high school diploma or equivalent, relevant child or youth experience for intermediate and target levels, and specified training, credentials, or education for some levels. Employment is subject to age, background-check, drug-testing, physical, immunization, and other stated conditions.

Requirements

Must be at least 18 years of age.
Must communicate effectively in English, orally and in writing, and follow verbal and written instructions.
Must complete required training within the specified timeframe and maintain certifications or credentials required by Federal, State, or national accreditation institutions used by DoD CYP.
Must pass applicable records and background checks, including required child-care background checks and installation records checks.
Must undergo pre-employment and random drug testing and consent to testing; a positive result or failure to submit is grounds for removal. A positive result for marijuana or another tested drug results in withdrawal of the tentative offer and ineligibility to apply for a DoD position for six months from the test date.
Must pass a pre-employment physical, provide evidence of immunization, be free of communicable diseases, and obtain appropriate immunizations against communicable diseases.
Must be a U.S. citizen or have three years of lawful U.S. residency.
Must provide education documentation if it was not supplied with the application.
Entry level: high school diploma or equivalent; ability to promote effective working relationships with children, youth, and coworkers and work cooperatively as a team member.
Intermediate level: entry-level abilities; knowledge of basic child and youth development principles; ability to implement developmentally appropriate practices, interpret curriculum or activity plans, follow written instructions, plan and organize, and work cooperatively with children, youth, and coworkers; six months of experience working with children or youth in a child and youth setting; completion of Navy entry-level training or an accepted Army, Air Force, or Marine equivalent.
Target level: entry- and intermediate-level knowledge and abilities; skill in applying developmentally appropriate principles, practices, and services in direct care and education, individually or in groups; ability to foster effective working relationships and work cooperatively as a team member; verbal communication skill to provide basic program information and explain CYP processes and procedures; one year of experience working with children or youth in a child and youth setting.
Target level: high school diploma or equivalent and one year of relevant experience, plus one of the following: completion of DoD standardized training courses; a valid Child Development Associate (CDA) or Military School-Age (MSA) credential; or a minimum two-year degree in a listed or related education, child development, youth recreation, physical education, or youth development field.
Must satisfactorily complete child-care background checks, including fingerprint checks, a Tier 1 with Child Care check, a State Criminal History Repository check, and the Installation Records Check.
Certain convictions and findings relating to sexual offenses, child-victim offenses, felony drug offenses, or negligence concerning the death or serious injury of a child or dependent person may result in automatic disqualification.
Selectees may be required to complete a one-year probationary period and must participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Fund Transfer within the first 30 days of employment.
Employment eligibility is confirmed through E-Verify.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience working with children and/or youth is preferred for entry-level applicants.

Responsibilities

Develop schedules and activity plans, and provide input on plans developed by entry- and intermediate-level assistants where applicable.
Ensure program plans and activities incorporate the observed needs of individual children and youth.
Implement activities and special events that meet participants’ physical, social, emotional, and cognitive needs.
Incorporate parents’ special instructions, including dietary and physical needs, into participants’ program experiences.
Prepare and implement program options for children and youth with special requirements, and care for those with special needs as directed by a supervisor.
Demonstrate, instruct, lead, and facilitate planned and spontaneous program activities.
Model developmentally appropriate practices and classroom or activity-area management techniques.
Promote and model safety, fitness, health, and nutrition practices; help arrange and serve appropriate snacks or meals where applicable.
Prepare, arrange, and maintain indoor and outdoor activity areas and materials; set up displays and bulletin boards.
Inventory equipment and recommend replenishment of damaged, missing, or depleted supplies; secure supplies, equipment, and facilities.
Establish an environment that sustains participant interest and promotes positive interactions with children, youth, and adults.
Interact with participants using approved child-guidance and youth-development techniques.
Provide care, supervision, oversight, and accountability in accordance with applicable DoD, NAF Component, and local installation policies and standards.
Maintain control of and account for participants’ whereabouts and safety during activities, outings, field trips, and special events.
Ensure participants depart with an authorized person according to written parental instructions.
Observe participants for signs of illness, abuse, or neglect and report as directed; fulfill mandatory-reporter responsibilities for suspected child abuse or neglect under local policy.
Interact professionally with employees, parents, and local installation command personnel; provide parents daily verbal or written feedback and participate in conferences.
Observe participants, document developmental progress or concerns, and use the information in planning.
Participate in program evaluation using designated rating scales, risk-assessment tools, self-inspection materials, and accreditation tools.
Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation or equivalent; ensure compliance with applicable laws, policies, and regulations.
Notify a supervisor of health, fire, and safety compliance concerns.
Collect, maintain, and report program participation data.
Perform other related duties as assigned.